Parliament can be dissolved, and we can really concentrate on the election."
Time seemed to drag on forever, and still Sir John did not return. Rosina was surprised to realise that he had only been away for two weeks, since it felt like months.
One evening she and Mama returned home very late from an evening where she had been the belle of the ball. Lady Clarendon was in ecstasies over her daughter's success.
"But I must just put you on your guard my love. You gave three dances to the Hon. David Conroy, who, after all, is only a younger son."
"But he makes me laugh, Mama."
"Ah, yes!" Lady Clarendon sighed. "Your Papa used to make me laugh when we first met. Sometimes he still does. I know how attractive it can be. But still – a younger son."
"I suppose younger sons must marry somebody," Rosina observed.
"But there is no need for them to marry you," her Mama said, dismayed by the turn the conversation was taking.
"I wonder when Sir John will return to London," Rosina said in a carefully indifferent voice. "With matters moving so fast in Parliament, surely his place is here?"
"I'm sure Sir John knows his own business best," Lady Clarendon said.
"He's also supposed to consider Papa. He ought to be here," Rosina said crossly.
"Well, I expect he'll return soon."
This time Rosina said nothing, but her fingers tapped nervously on her reticule.
When they reached home Lady Clarendon went into her husband's study, while Rosina picked up some invitations that had arrived while she was out, and lay on the hall table.
She glanced up as her mother returned, saying,
"Well Sir John has returned, so I hope you'll be satisfied now."
"He's here?"
"Yes, he's in the library with your Papa. They're working very hard. I told them what a great success you'd been tonight, and they said to give you their congratulations, and apologise for not saying goodnight to you, but they are so busy."
"I wouldn't dream of disturbing either of them, Mama. Goodnight."
She kissed her mother and hurried up the stairs to her room, where she closed the door a little too sharply.
*
The following morning Rosina endured an awkward meeting with her father, who had summoned her into his study.
"My dear, whatever have you been up to?" he asked.
"What do you mean, Papa?"
"I've heard such disturbing stories – about Arthur Woodward and a teacher at your school called Miss Draycott. And you knew all about him and have been – I scarcely dare to say the word – blackmailing him?"
So Sir John had told Papa all about it. At that moment Rosina felt that she hated him.
"I knew that he had behaved badly Papa, and was behaving badly again. So I stopped him."
"Without confiding in your parents? Good grief, I never heard such – "
He stopped as the door opened and Sir John entered.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, "but that package has arrived."
He handed over a large envelope, which Sir Elroy seized eagerly.
"Thank you, John. Leave me now. We'll talk later."
Rosina swept out of the door, followed by Sir John, who closed it behind them.
At once she turned on him.
"I wouldn't have thought it of you," she said bitterly.
"Thought what of me?"
"You betrayed me to Papa. You broke your word."
"Never. If you mean the letters, I gave no promise about them."
"And so you told him everything."
"I swear that I did not. How can you think such a thing of me?"
"He knows all about it. He just said to me – oh, the same sort of things that you said."
"They are things that any man must say when he thinks that you are in danger. Can't you understand that?"
"You told Papa," she said stubbornly.
"Did he say so?"
"He didn't get the chance, but when I next see him I shall ask him – "
"And get me thrown out of the house," he said wryly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I didn't say anything about Woodward, but if you inform him that I knew, he's going to be annoyed with me for not telling him. I should have done so, of course. So, if you want to do me a
Time seemed to drag on forever, and still Sir John did not return. Rosina was surprised to realise that he had only been away for two weeks, since it felt like months.
One evening she and Mama returned home very late from an evening where she had been the belle of the ball. Lady Clarendon was in ecstasies over her daughter's success.
"But I must just put you on your guard my love. You gave three dances to the Hon. David Conroy, who, after all, is only a younger son."
"But he makes me laugh, Mama."
"Ah, yes!" Lady Clarendon sighed. "Your Papa used to make me laugh when we first met. Sometimes he still does. I know how attractive it can be. But still – a younger son."
"I suppose younger sons must marry somebody," Rosina observed.
"But there is no need for them to marry you," her Mama said, dismayed by the turn the conversation was taking.
"I wonder when Sir John will return to London," Rosina said in a carefully indifferent voice. "With matters moving so fast in Parliament, surely his place is here?"
"I'm sure Sir John knows his own business best," Lady Clarendon said.
"He's also supposed to consider Papa. He ought to be here," Rosina said crossly.
"Well, I expect he'll return soon."
This time Rosina said nothing, but her fingers tapped nervously on her reticule.
When they reached home Lady Clarendon went into her husband's study, while Rosina picked up some invitations that had arrived while she was out, and lay on the hall table.
She glanced up as her mother returned, saying,
"Well Sir John has returned, so I hope you'll be satisfied now."
"He's here?"
"Yes, he's in the library with your Papa. They're working very hard. I told them what a great success you'd been tonight, and they said to give you their congratulations, and apologise for not saying goodnight to you, but they are so busy."
"I wouldn't dream of disturbing either of them, Mama. Goodnight."
She kissed her mother and hurried up the stairs to her room, where she closed the door a little too sharply.
*
The following morning Rosina endured an awkward meeting with her father, who had summoned her into his study.
"My dear, whatever have you been up to?" he asked.
"What do you mean, Papa?"
"I've heard such disturbing stories – about Arthur Woodward and a teacher at your school called Miss Draycott. And you knew all about him and have been – I scarcely dare to say the word – blackmailing him?"
So Sir John had told Papa all about it. At that moment Rosina felt that she hated him.
"I knew that he had behaved badly Papa, and was behaving badly again. So I stopped him."
"Without confiding in your parents? Good grief, I never heard such – "
He stopped as the door opened and Sir John entered.
"I'm sorry to disturb you," he said, "but that package has arrived."
He handed over a large envelope, which Sir Elroy seized eagerly.
"Thank you, John. Leave me now. We'll talk later."
Rosina swept out of the door, followed by Sir John, who closed it behind them.
At once she turned on him.
"I wouldn't have thought it of you," she said bitterly.
"Thought what of me?"
"You betrayed me to Papa. You broke your word."
"Never. If you mean the letters, I gave no promise about them."
"And so you told him everything."
"I swear that I did not. How can you think such a thing of me?"
"He knows all about it. He just said to me – oh, the same sort of things that you said."
"They are things that any man must say when he thinks that you are in danger. Can't you understand that?"
"You told Papa," she said stubbornly.
"Did he say so?"
"He didn't get the chance, but when I next see him I shall ask him – "
"And get me thrown out of the house," he said wryly.
"What do you mean by that?"
"I didn't say anything about Woodward, but if you inform him that I knew, he's going to be annoyed with me for not telling him. I should have done so, of course. So, if you want to do me a
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